Spearheading India's pace attack in the absence of the rested Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj delivered a game-changing performance at the start of Day 3 of the second Test at Edgbaston. Despite entering the match with his form under scrutiny, Siraj rose to the occasion, claiming three key wickets to put India in a commanding position. After dismissing Zak Crawley on the second day, he produced a stunning opening over on Friday that shattered England's hopes.
With just the third ball of the day, Siraj dismissed the well-set Joe Root. In a stroke of misfortune for the batsman, a seemingly innocuous delivery heading down the leg side found a faint touch off Root's bat, and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant completed a sharp diving catch to his left. This brought England's captain, Ben Stokes, to the crease, tasked with rescuing his side from a precarious situation.
However, Siraj was relentless. The very next delivery was a vicious short ball that climbed awkwardly on Stokes. The England skipper, attempting to defend, could only edge the ball, which flew straight into the waiting gloves of Pant. In a remarkable two-delivery sequence, Siraj had sent England's two most experienced batsmen back to the pavilion, leaving the hosts reeling at 84 for 5 in response to India's mammoth first-innings total of 587.
The dismissal marked a historic, albeit unwanted, milestone for the English captain. It was the first time in his 113-Test career, spanning 202 innings, that Ben Stokes was out for a first-ball duck. While he had been dismissed without scoring on 16 previous occasions since his debut in 2013, this was the first instance of a golden duck, making Mohammed Siraj the first bowler to achieve this particular feat against him in Test cricket.
Watch Siraj sending Joe Root-Ben Stokes back to the hut in back-to-back deliveries:
However, Harry Brook and Jamie Smith held England's fort and took them to a well-positioned 249/5 by lunch. While Jamie Smith is still unbeaten on the crease on 102, Brook is unscathed on 91 and is also nearing a well-deserved ton.